Leaving Earth
by CanaanAlphardForever
Summary: [56] After the starship Shepard is shot down by an unknown vessel, Commander Reiss and her crew wake up on an unknown planet, only to realize that things are much more dire than anticipated. AU. One-shot. Inspired by Mass Effect and Aldnoah Zero. Yumikuri. Mikaani. Character death.


Author's Note: So, I decided to continue with the weekly challenge fic thing, but this time just on my own. To spice it up I asked Turbo if she'd give me the prompts/themes, and so she did. This one-shot is heavily inspired by Mass Effect and slightly by Aldnoah Zero. I do hope that you enjoy, and reviews are appreciated. Credit for the theme goes to Turbotail88!

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><p>Ymir shifted her feet lazily and looked down towards them, a scowl set deeply on her face. She lifted her head to sneer at the wall opposite her, eyebrow ticking in anger. "Remain here, soldier. We do not need you to fetch the supplies<em>,<em>" she droned in a mocking tone, high-pitched and exaggerated. She was disgruntled at having been _ordered_ to remain by their ship while those in charge strutted through the damn city just to fetch supplies.

They were docked on Exodus2, a fairy civilized planet that consisted of many cultures and races. It had originally been a barren planet, but after the Vers found it—a race known for weakness to sunlight but exceptional strength—they turned it into the bustling existence it was with cities and even tourist destinations. It was a great planet to stop by for supplies. Ymir hadn't agreed to their landing, but _Commander Midget_ had given the order, and _Lieutenant Little Red Riding Scarf_ _and Second Lieutenant Big Nose _had jumped in to defend their Commander's decision. _My Commander, _Ymir corrected herself. _I have to deal with it sometime. _

Ymir slumped down to the ground, allowing her gun to rest down beside her, and groaned. She _hated_ having to take orders, even less when it came from someone she believed did not deserve their post.

"_I_ should be their Commander. It should be _me_ running the show, damnit."

Ymir had gone to military school. Her current Commander had been there _with her_, just two years ahead. Two years was all that separated them, yet Ymir was the lowly solider while _she_ managed to rise so far in rank that she commanded her own damn starship and crew. Not to mention that she had somehow won the Councils favour. Ymir liked to entertain herself with the thought that the Commander had simply bought or fucked her way to power, but she had the facts staring right in her face.

More agitated than she had been earlier, Ymir rotated her shoulders to get the kinks out of them. They had been training non-stop since the war had begun and Ymir wasn't one for warm-ups or resting. She hated to be idle and hated doing something frivolous even more. Stopping by Exodus2 was wasting desperate time. While countless humans fought in the frontlines planets away, they were here sitting on their asses for _food._

The loud thud of heavy boots echoed down the corridor and Ymir quickly shot to her feet, gun in hand and pressed against her chest. She hadn't been quick enough, unfortunately, and the Commander paused in front of her, a frown to her lips.

"Were you sitting, soldier?"

Ymir felt anger bubble up in her chest. "Just taking a rest, Commander."

"We are at war here, soldier, and you want to _rest?_"

Ymir's grip on her gun tightened and she looked down to meet the Commander's icy gaze. "I'm not the one that wanted to stop for milkshakes," she spat, realizing how far she was stepping out of line and uncaring of the fact.

Suddenly she felt a sharp sting to her abdomen and before she knew it she was on her knees, gasping and coughing. When the Commander spoke again she had no choice but to look up.

"Don't forget who you answer to, soldier. You are lucky enough not to have been forced into honourable discharge. If I remember correctly, _you _were the one that convinced some of our crew to cut back on rations in order for us to board more quickly."

"We can eat when we get to the damn mothership!"

"Atlantis Prime has barely enough supplies for our own army! Because of you we have been forced to stop and stock up."

"If anything you should be licking the Commander's boots in apology," a blonde behind the Commander commented. She was so eloquently named, _Second Lieutenant Big Nose._ As one could correctly guess, she did indeed have a rather large nose. Annie Leonhardt may have had a disproportioned nose to the rest of her face, but she was sure to make her glare so fierce that it distracted one from her physical flaw. Annie's very presence was unnerving and no one ever had the nerve to joke about her nose—no one but Ymir, that was.

"Oh, and who gave you that idea, your nose?" Ymir slurred, grinning.

Annie's eyes flashed with nothing but annoyance. She shrugged once when the taller Asian woman beside her, Lieutenant Mikasa Ackerman, placed a hand on her shoulder as if to keep her from lurching forward.

"An insult from the likes of her won't bother me, Mikasa," she said.

Mikasa relaxed her taut muscles and nodded once. "Right, sorry." She lowered her gun to the ground, fingers clenching and unclenching. Sending a chilling glare towards Ymir, she stepped forward to tap the Commander on the shoulder.

"Commander, Second Lieutenant Leonhardt and I will head inside and prepare for the delivery of supplies." At the Commander's nod Mikasa headed inside with Annie close behind her. Neither spared the fallen soldier another glance.

"Stand up," the Commander ordered. She hated the height difference when the soldier obeyed and straightened. "I would appreciate less lip and more action from you, soldier."

Ymir exhaled lightly and shrugged. "Sure thing, _Krista._"

Krista Historia Reiss, the Commander of the Shepard starship, bristled at the very use of her name. She used all of her willpower not to strike the soldier again, and closed her eyes to inhale.

"You will remain here and oversee the supplies as they arrive. When they do, call for Ackerman and Leonhardt and have them help you bring everything inside. We should leave within the hour." She opened her eyes to make sure Ymir understood her order and then she made to enter the Shepard, but froze when Ymir's hand grabbed a hold of her wrist.

"Okay, shit, I'm sorry." Ymir rolled her eyes and sighed. "I was pissed and I stepped over the line."

"You stepped over many lines, Ymir."

Ymir refused to release her hold. "I just don't think it's fair for _me_ to answer to _you._"

"Why, Ymir?" Krista ripped her arm away and turned fully to face her subordinate. "Because when we dated and I rose in rank while you didn't you became so jealous you couldn't even look at me?"

Ymir visibly reddened. "Jealous? I worked for this my whole fucking life! I've worked so hard. I should be in your shoes!"

"But you aren't," Krista narrowed her eyes. "And that isn't because I slept with some official or paid them off. I lost my inheritance when my parents were murdered by Reuse soldiers. I'm no richer than you." She took a healthy step backwards to the entrance of the Shepard. "And from now on, soldier, you will think of me as your Commander. Don't you ever speak to me like we are friends again, do you understand me?"

Ymir felt a string of choice words on her tongue, but withheld them. Instead she merely waved her hand and then bowed mockingly, biting deeply into her lip to prevent herself from speaking. She heard Krista huff and then stomp up the ramp, the heavy doors whooshing open and then closed as she passed the threshold.

Sighing, she straightened. "This is going to be a long fucking day."

XxX

The supplies were delivered twenty minutes later and Ymir was relieved when both Mikasa and Annie exited the Shepard before she headed in to call them. They ignored her existence as they carried everything inside and afterwards they all settled in as their autopilot guided them out of the docking bay and into the skies—they were only a four-woman crew, heading back to the main ship after having run a small mission.

Mikasa was in her quarters slipping her heavy-plate armour on. She was busy fitting her feet into her boots when her door opened and a short blonde stepped in.

"Suiting up already?"

Mikasa smiled and stood in time as Annie grabbed the back of her head and pulled her down for a crushing kiss. It was as intense as it had been earlier—before Krista had interrupted to order them to help Ymir carry the supplies—and Mikasa's toes curled. Exhaling, she pushed away and ran her tongue over her bottom lip.

"I just put this on," she said with a smirk.

"I don't mind helping you out of it." Annie ran a finger along Mikasa's chest, smirking just as devilishly.

Mikasa wrapped her arms around Annie's waist, bending down to do so, and lifted the blonde into her arms as she started another heated kiss. Since their earlier encounter had been interrupted, her hormones were still raging, her body unsated. She desperately needed some form of release, and tossed Annie onto her bed. Annie grunted in displeasure as she landed, hating it when Mikasa tossed her around. The feeling quickly faded away to arousal when she turned and caught the heated gaze Mikasa sent her way.

"Someone is eager, Lieutenant Ackerman."

Mikasa hooked her fingers around the large plates on her shoulders, preparing to hoist them up and off, but was stopped when the ship suddenly lurched to the right. She just barely managed to keep her balance and hurried to help Annie off of the floor when the Shepard found its balance again.

"What the hell was that?" Annie muttered, eyes filled with annoyance.

"I don't know, but it felt serious."

Just then the intercom buzzed to life and Krista's voice filtered through, breathless. "Lieutenants Ackerman and Leonhardt, report to the bridge immediately. We have a crisis."

Mikasa swore softly under her breath and hurried to grab her weapons from her table. Annie was already out the door, no doubt rushing to change into her armour and get her guns—they didn't want to arrive unprepared.

In a matter of three minutes they both burst onto the bridge and jogged up to the small blonde.

"Commander," Mikasa said. "What happened?"

"An unknown vessel just fired a shot at us. Hit the thrusters just as we were about to jump. I'm struggling to shut them down."

Mikasa could feel the dangerous vibrations against her feet. She felt Annie step up closer to her. "Why would someone shoot at us?"

"An enemy ship, maybe?" Annie voiced.

The ship lurched again and they grappled for something to hold onto. Krista, holding onto the front panel, grabbed Mikasa who was in turn grabbed by Annie. They all stumbled forward and then relaxed when the ship straightened.

"Commander, are the thrusters still going?"

Krista frantically tapped at the panel, pages upon pages of data flying by her eyes. "I've lost systems control of the ship. We are still set to jump. I can't stop it." She noticed Ymir finally emerge, clad in her battle outfit but still wet from a shower.

"What the hell happened?" she yelled over the sudden roar of the ship's engines.

"We were attacked," Krista answered. She relayed the rest of their situation and watched as Ymir's eyes widened. "We have no choice but to brace ourselves and wait for the jump," she said. "Get into your seats and strap yourself in!" She tapped on the panel again and then went over to her own seat at the head of the bridge, strapping in.

Ymir was to her immediate right, while Annie and Mikasa occupied her left. Though none of them feared for their lives, far too used to the risk of war, they were worried. Krista noticed Mikasa take Annie's gloved hand into her own, and a slow pang started in her chest. Ymir was swearing and struggling in her seat, trying to adjust the straps of the belts.

"Who the fuck adjusted these?" she roared. "I'm too damn big!"

Krista looked to the screen where it flashed in blue, counting down to when the thrusters would kick in to full power and they would jump to whichever system. Her heart thudded in panic. They had no time.

Hurriedly she unstrapped herself and then dropped down by Ymir, expertly adjusting the hard straps and then clipping them into place. She just barely managed to get back into her seat when the ship shuddered, groaned and then shot forward.

Where they were headed, no one knew.

XxX

Ymir woke to an awful throbbing in her ribs. She could barely breathe and the ache above her eye didn't help. Blinking the blood from her vision, Ymir lifted her head and groaned.

The inside of the Shepard was wrecked. Any electrical device, including the large central panel that controlled all systems, was destroyed. Electrical wires stuck out in all directions, sparks flying here and there. Glass scattered the floor, as well, along with twisted metal.

Ymir was almost scared to look to her left. Sure, she held more scorn for the Commander than love, but that did not mean that she would enjoy seeing her dead. A part of Ymir, one that she had thought to have died out, ached just at the thought. Her heart thudded unlike it had in a while, and she realized in that instant that although she had decided to stop loving Krista, she never really had. Now she feared for her Commander's life. If anything, she at least hoped that she had survived.

Hesitantly Ymir looked to her side. The head seat was empty, with blood smeared along the straps of the belts. It made Ymir's heart sink. Annie was there, awake and alive, desperately trying to wake Mikasa. Where the hell was Krista?

Ymir managed to undo the straps and she fell out of the seat. It was only then that she realized the ship had been upside down. Technically she had just landed on the ceiling.

With a large inhale she stumbled over to Annie, ignoring the blurring of her vision and the scream of her chest.

"Mikasa," Annie said, desperate. "Wake up, please!"

"Is she alive?" Ymir asked. She stopped by Annie and reached up to get her out of her seat. Annie did not protest as she was gently put down onto her feet by Ymir. She seemed mostly fine, with only a nasty cut on her forehead. It had already ceased to bleed, so all that remained was a layer of dried blood. Just how long had they been out?

"I… I don't know," Annie said. She immediately went to Mikasa to properly feel for a pulse by her throat. When she felt a heartbeat, strong and insistent, she sighed. "Oh god, she is. She's alive!"

Ymir sighed in relief. "Thank the Maker." She lightly pushed Annie to the side and pulled Mikasa out of the seat. Annie argued to carry Mikasa herself, but Ymir only scoffed and lifted Mikasa into her arms, one arm under Mikasa's back with the other curled underneath her legs. With the armour she was extra heavy, but Ymir wasn't bulkier for nothing. It was only a slight strain to carry the Lieutenant.

"We need to get out of the ship," she told Annie. "We don't know if it'll blow or not. Have you seen Krista?" She paused and then sighed. "I mean the Commander?"

"When I woke up her seat was empty. I didn't see any extra blood or a body. She might have been thrown out of the ship when we crashed."

Ymir hated to admit that Annie was right. It was the only logical explanation, though her heart still cried out for it not to be true. Scowling at herself, Ymir tapped on the screen by the exit after they made it there. It wasn't working—big surprise there. "We have no way to know where we crashed so we have to do this blind."

Annie paused. "You go first then."

Ymir shot a look over her shoulder. "So you want me to test the waters, huh?"

Annie shrugged. "This is all your fault, anyway."

Ymir narrowed her eyes, clearly displeased by the comment. Glaring, she dropped Mikasa right there and then, uncaring if the Lieutenant had an injury or not. Annie yelled out when her lover was dropped and she rushed to pull Mikasa into her arms.

"Are you senile, you asshole?"

Ymir shrugged. "Oops, my arms slipped." She rolled her eyes and then searched the contours of the door to find the manual latch. The door was mostly electrically controlled via sensors and motors, and with the entire damn ship fucked, it would most probably not work. When she found the latch she flipped it, and then she slipped her fingers into the handle and pulled with all her might. The door only opened enough for her body to slip through, so she did. It remained open behind her.

"I'll scream if get sucked into space," she stated. "And if it's safe I'll call out."

Annie did not respond, because Mikasa had just woken and was groaning, complaining of pain in her hip. It was where she had landed when Ymir had dropped her, but Annie would refrain from telling that to her now.

Ymir headed down the short corridor to the final door, and took a breath. The ship shuddered lightly, groaning like it too was in pain. She felt the urgency to leave quickly before it blew, and opened this door as she had the first. When it cracked open an inch, she froze and waited for searing pain. None came, so she opened the door as much as she could and then stumbled out into bright light.

"Jesus," she muttered, shielding her eyes from the warmth. When she had adjusted, she lowered her hand and then surveyed the area.

It seemed that they had crashed on a planet—which one she had no clue. There were various kinds of plants around them and Ymir suspected that they had crashed in a dense forest. It almost reminded her of Earth, but it wasn't, she knew, because a strange purple frog-like creature flew by on slimy wings, croaking.

"I thought you'd call out," Annie commented from the open doorway. She had Mikasa by her side, an arm draped over her shoulder. Mikasa still looked out of it and was breathing haggardly.

"Why'd you come out anyway?"

"You didn't scream." Annie rolled her eyes. "It was logical to assume that it was safe to come out." Guiding Mikasa carefully, she stepped out of the ship and made it to the edge. "We'll have to jump down," she told Mikasa softly. "Can you do that?"

Mikasa nodded numbly, more aware now. "I can do it myself, don't worry." As stubborn as always, she pushed Annie away and peered down to the muddy ground, grimacing. Annie jumped down first and then turned, looking up and waiting.

"Well?"

Sighing, Mikasa pressed a hand to her hip and then sat down to slowly slide over the edge. She did so slowly and then fell to the ground, landing on her feet. She groaned as it made a wave of pain shoot up her legs. "Ouch, fuck."

Ymir rolled her eyes as she watched Annie hurry to Mikasa and fuss over her. She then jumped down too and landed flawlessly. A moment later the breath left her lungs, and she dropped down to her knees to wheeze. Okay, maybe she hadn't landed _that_ flawlessly. Apparently she'd broken a few ribs, but the pain would ease. Ymir hoped so.

"We should find the Commander," Ymir choked out after standing. She wiped the blood and sweat from her eyes. When she regained her breath she pulled her gun from her back, glad to have strapped it there, and checked to see if it still worked—it did, thank the Maker.

"What do you propose?" Mikasa asked. She was definitely more able now, though she appeared to still hurt in her hip.

"Sorry for dropping you," Ymir commented. Mikasa gave her a confused look, so she shrugged and decided to act like it hadn't happened. "I'll need to get to a high place or find tracks. If the Commander was thrown, there should be other debris around here. Hopefully she's there. If she wasn't and she managed to get out of the ship before we woke, then there should be tracks leading away from here."

"I don't think she would have just left," Mikasa countered. "Why would she do so without waking us? How did she open the doors, too?"

Ymir shrugged. "She's stronger than she looks, trust me." _I'm also really fucking scared to admit that she was likely thrown from the ship. No one could survive that._

Mikasa seemed to sense Ymir's reluctance, so she shrugged. "Alright." Straightening, she finally took command. "Second Lieutenant Leonhardt," she said to Annie. "You will search around the left area of the ship for tracks, I will take the right. Soldier," she looked to Ymir. "Find somewhere high to survey the area. Look for signs of debris, our Commander and for any form of civilization. We will need to contact Atlantis Prime of our crash. The mothership won't wait forever."

Both Annie and Ymir nodded and then they headed out to do as they were told.

Ymir headed straight ahead and found what appeared to be a really large tree. It had broken branches that acted as perfect footholds, and Ymir climbed the tree without difficulty. She was only slightly winded when she reached the top, thanks to her aching ribs.

They had indeed landed in the middle of a forest. Their entire surroundings consisted of thick trees and shrubbery. Ymir even heard the distant roars of what she assumed to be very angry animals. She hoped they didn't encounter any soon because none of them were in the best shape.

To the far south Ymir spotted barren land, and even further down south what looked like a large, bustling city. There were many building reaching for the skies and air crafts both landing and taking off. Ymir didn't recognize anything around her, and wondered if maybe she had just been asleep at the academy when they learnt about this planet. Shrugging, she continued to search and hoped to see some sign of Krista.

To the east something appeared to break the dense trees, and Ymir leaned forward, straining her eyes to see further. There, hooked on a branch, appeared to be some kind of parachute. Ymir recognized their crest on it, and her heart soared in hope.

That was it! Krista must have been conscious when she had been thrown, and during her fall, had deployed the parachute built into the back of her suit. Ymir had never seen any use for the feature before, but was now so grateful that someone out there had been paranoid enough about falls to make an internally built parachute mandatory.

Ymir hurried down the tree and back to the Shepard. Annie and Mikasa were there, sitting close together and talking. When the brunette arrived Mikasa stood, back straightening.

"Status report, soldier."

Ymir rolled her eyes at the formality. "I think I saw where Kri—the Commander landed. About four kilometres east from here, there is a parachute with our insignia on it, caught on a branch."

Mikasa nodded. "I don't see any other Atlantis ships in the area. Must be ours."

Ymir bounced on the spot, more energetic now that there was some hope. "I also spotted a large city due south of here. It'll take us a few days on foot."

Mikasa sighed heavily and sat back down, slightly dizzy. "Our main priority right now is finding the Commander, dead or alive. Once she is found or proclaimed M.I.A, we can make for the city." She turned to Annie. "Are you okay? That gash looks nasty."

Annie shrugged and lifted a finger to touch the wound. "It doesn't hurt, and it stopped bleeding. What about you? Still dizzy?"

Mikasa waved her hand. "I'm fine. We should head out now before it darkens. We can't leave the Commander out there on her own—there's no telling what sort of animal species this planet has."

"The amount of daylight appears to be similar to Earth," Annie commented. She was standing and dusting the back of her pants off. "And by the sun I'd say it's already well into the afternoon. We should head out right now."

Mikasa smiled with pride, eyes shining with it. If the moment wasn't so urgent she probably would have paused to kiss Annie, but knew that now was not the time. So she turned to Ymir and nodded at her. "We will come back after finding the Commander and attempt to salvage food and supplies from the ship. It should be relatively easy if nothing has been too damaged." She pointed at Ymir's gun. "How well can you shoot?"

Ymir glanced down to her gun and then back up at Mikasa. "I'm the best damn shot you'll ever see."

Mikasa seemed pleased with the response, though slightly concerned about Ymir's cockiness. Annie seemed otherwise irritated. "More like conceited," she commented. Ymir opened her mouth to retort but shut it when Mikasa lifted her hand for them both to quiet.

"If you bicker we might be heard by something dangerous. Can it for now, both of you. We are not friends right now, but comrades, partners in war. We need to have each other's back." She spared a look to both of her companions and then smiled when it appeared that they would behave. "Let's go."

XxX

When they had walked for a good fourty minutes, Mikasa decided to try her integrated communication device. It was built into the suit, and when activated a small holographic screen appeared, lifting up from the wrist above a pad of keys. Luckily most of Mikasa's suit still worked, just not the communication, it seemed. It wouldn't switch on no matter what she did, and she wondered if they would be able to contact HQ at all.

"Ymir, is your comm working?"

Ymir lifted her arm to inspect the computer there. Switching it on, the holographic screen appeared. "It is, yeah, just…" She tapped at the screen, frowning. "No signal at all." Ymir switched it off and dropped her arm. "Our only bet is the city."

"We don't even know where we are," Annie commented. "The city could be dangerous."

"We shouldn't worry over it yet," Mikasa advised. "Let's just focus on getting to the Commander and then back to the Shepard."

Ymir and Annie nodded, and like before, they all fell into silence as they traversed the wilderness. So far they had only come across small, strange animals. Nothing large and nothing dangerous, but they did take care not to touch any animal or plant—there was no telling if they could be poisonous at all.

After another twenty minutes or so, they finally reached the second crash site. As Ymir had seen, there was a parachute high up in the trees. Still attached to it was Krista, and Ymir nearly dropped her gun to rush to her. Mikasa stopped her, however, and pointed.

"Look, there's something at the base of the tree."

Ymir looked and felt her heart stop. It looked like some strange cross between a hyena and a tiger, though it was double the size of either. It was pacing silently, looking up at Krista every so often as if waiting for her to fall. By the drool, no one doubted this thing had a hunger for flesh.

"Some kind of feline," Annie commented. Her forearm computer was working and she was hastily paging through data on feline species. "But nothing we've ever heard about before. Are we even on a known planet?"

Mikasa took a moment to think. For now she was in charge, and her main priority was getting the Commander back unscathed. But she would not put the other's lives in danger. She'd have to come up with something, and soon. A large wind washed through and the parachute Krista hung from budged ever so slightly, causing her unconscious body to drop down an inch. The creature below roared in anticipation, the sound something akin to an angry meow and a hiss. It stood up on its hind legs, long claws digging into the black bark of the tree.

"We have to kill the thing!" Ymir hissed. "Before that parachute gives. I'm not going to sit here and watch the Commander get eaten."

"You seemed like the kind to enjoy the show," Annie commented, eyes cold and hard.

Ymir made to snap at her, but held it back and sighed. No one knew that she had been with Krista—had loved Krista dearly. It wasn't her jealously that had broken their relationship entirely. No, their paths had just been too different. Ymir hadn't wanted to pull Krista down with her. Sure, she had really been jealous of her girlfriend, but never enough to actually do something to sabotage her success. Ymir wasn't that shitty.

Mikasa had apparently formulated her plan, and so she crouched and gestured for the others to as well. "Okay, this is what we do…" She explained the plan in a hushed tone, catching either blue eyes or brown, making sure that they understood what she meant and how to execute the mission. "Understand?"

"Understood, Lieutenant," Ymir and Annie chorused.

Mikasa nodded and then she hurried around the area, being careful to hide in the shadows. When she was to the exact opposite of Ymir and Annie, to the creature's other side, she released a short whistle that sounded nothing more than a bird's whine. Ymir knew it was her cue, so she found a small stone by her feet and, sharing a glance with Annie, threw it to their right. It garnered the creature's attention, and that was when Annie silently crept away towards the direction Ymir had thrown the rock. When she was but a foot away from the creature she quickly climbed up one of the trees and onto a branch, and then another breeze slid through the trees around them.

The parachute tore loudly, the creature turned and Ymir cursed. Annie quickly pressed a button on her device, causing it to beep loudly, and watched as the creature turned to her again. Mikasa whistled once more, indicating that they should re-group and come up with something else, but suddenly Ymir ran out from the cover of the trees and to Krista. Gun strapped to her back, she jumped as high as she could and managed to catch a branch. The creature had already run over, finding Ymir more tantalizing than the beeping, and swiped its gigantic paw just as Ymir hoisted her body upwards.

"Jesus!" she hissed.

Krista hadn't shown any sign of consciousness, and they had no way to know if she was still alive, but Ymir would be damned if she just let her fall into that thing's claws. So she clambered higher up the tree, ignoring the warning whistle from Mikasa and reaching Krista in a heartbeat. She reached out and wrapped an arm around the blonde, so very careful to hold her tightly in case the parachute tore entirely. She managed to pull Krista away and onto the branch with her, and collapsed with her back against the tree, Krista fully in her arms, panting.

"I got her!" Ymir yelled. "Now kill the thing so I can get down."

Mikasa felt a vein throb in her temple, but left her anger for now. Ymir was right. So she crept closer to the clearing and sent a few hand signs over to Annie. The blonde understood them without fault and nodded. She and Mikasa then moved as one, taking steps at precisely the same moment. When Mikasa raised her hand, palm upwards, Annie pressed the button she had earlier. The beeping distracted the beast and it was all the time Mikasa needed.

Being silent but swift, Mikasa darted from the trees, knife in hand, and jumped atop the creature's back. Just as she did, the feline roared and turned. Annie took that as her cue and slid underneath the creature. At the same moment Annie plunged her knife into its neck and Mikasa sliced hers into the side of its head. It whirled for a second, screeching, and then fell over, dead.

Mikasa pulled her knife out and placed it back inside of her boot after wiping it off on the strange yellow fur of the creature. She and Annie then went over to the tree, and they delicately accepted Krista's unconscious form. Ymir was down in seconds and then she quickly took Krista out of Mikasa's arms and into her own.

"I can carry her," Mikasa said. "I'm her second in command."

Ymir shook her head. "I need to do this. She's alive but out cold. I didn't see any serious injuries other than a bump on her head. If we start heading back now we'll make it before nightfall."

Mikasa wanted to protest, but she knew how stubborn Ymir could be. She just hoped that Krista would not be too mad at her once she discovered, since it was no secret that she did not like Ymir—no one actually knew of the blonde's romantic past with the brunette.

"Let's go then," Annie remarked, tired and growing irritated.

Mikasa sighed and nodded. "We marked our way here. It should be easy to get back."

And it was.

When they returned the Shepard was as it had been when they left. There were no signs of any animals passing by, or any sort of people. They were glad for it, and Ymir immediately collapsed in exhaustion the moment she could. It had been such a long day already.

"Annie, start a fire for us," Mikasa ordered softly. "I'll inspect the ship for any gas leakage. There seems to be no more fire, and we've been gone long enough that if it was to blow, it would have."

Annie grabbed Mikasa's hand before she left. "Be careful."

Mikasa smiled and finally allowed herself to lean forward and kiss the blonde's lips. "You know I always am." She spotted Ymir and straightened. "Take the Commander's armour off. Give her body a proper inspection. I'll bring what I can out with me." She only left when Ymir gave her a weak nod.

Ymir did as she was told, hands trembling. Expecting to see stains of red or shredded flesh, Ymir gently removed each plate of armour and leather until Krista was in nothing but a tank top and pants. She then gently touched her skin, looking for any signs of swelling or broken bones. It was only then that Krista awoke, groaning softly.

"And the Commander finally wakes," Ymir commented with a relieved grin.

"Commander?" Krista mumbled, squinting. She tried to sit up, but only fell back down into Ymir's lap, dazed. "Why are you calling me that?" She then did something that froze Ymir's entire being. Not for the first time, Krista grabbed a hold of Ymir's shirt—the brunette had shed her armour too, since the suit was damn heavy—and nuzzled against her chest. She inhaled deeply, sighing. "Did we get drunk or something?" she asked.

Ymir blinked, unable to form a coherent sentence. Gone was the strong and lethal Commander. Before her was the cute, innocent little Krista that had enlisted with her. Hesitantly Ymir reached down to feel her forehead. "Commander, are you feeling okay?"

Krista's blonde brows furrowed and she finally managed to pull herself up, though she was still sitting in Ymir's lap. "Ymir, did you lose a bet with Reiner or something?"

At the mention of the man's name, Ymir immediately grew concerned. She paled considerably, and flinched when Krista's small hand touched her cheek. "Comma—Krista, what is the last thing you remember?"

Frowning now, Krista tried to think. "Well, uh, I remember that we passed the last test and we can finally join the army. We went drinking out with Marco and everyone, right? Wasn't that last night?"

Ymir became even paler, almost sick to her stomach. "Oh god." She pressed a hand to her face. "Krista, Reiner and Marco died seven years ago."

Krista's hand flew up to her mouth, shocked. "Wh-what? But that… what are you talking about?"

Ymir's face was grim. "Look around you, Krista. We aren't at the academy."

Krista did so, eyes steadily widening. "But…"

"You are Commander Reiss of the Shepard, commanding your own crew of Lieutenant Ackerman, Second Lieutenant Leonhardt and me, a lowly foot soldier." Ymir sighed and noticed how still Krista had gone. "We were on our way to Atlantis Prime when we were shot down. We woke up here a few hours ago, but you were gone. You must have hit your head when you landed in the trees. Does it hurt?"

Krista looked up to meet Ymir's brown eyes and felt comforted by the compassion in them. It was such a rare thing to see in Ymir, but it was that fact that had drawn Krista to begin with. She shook her head, relieved that in didn't throb again. "I feel fine. Just… confused."

Annie approached then with sticks she had collected around the area. She situated them, managed to light a fire and only then noticed Krista's blue eyes trained on her. Straightening, she performed a salute.

"Commander, glad to see you're awake. Lieutenant Ackerman is currently surveying the damage to our ship. Is there anything you need?"

Krista gave Ymir a helpless look. "I, um…" She looked between Annie and Ymir, face contorted in panic.

Ymir pressed a hand to her back. "Relax," she said. Turning to look at Annie, she frowned. "She lost her memory," she explained. "Ten years' worth, it seems."

Annie's eyes widened. "Are you serious?"

"What's going on?" Mikasa jumped down from the ship, arms full of blankets and a large bag over her shoulder. She noticed Krista and smiled in relief. "Commander, you're awake."

"She lost her memory," Annie told her. "Apparently."

Mikasa dropped the supplies and furrowed her brows. "How far?"

"Ten years," Ymir said. She stood then, blushing lightly when Krista still held onto her and refused to let go. "The last thing she remembers is partying with our friends after they graduated from the academy."

Mikasa did not let her shock show on her face. Instead she headed over to Krista to give her a proper inspection. After observing her eyes and reaction to light, and asking a few questions, she deduced that Krista wasn't in any serious danger. She went over to Annie by the fire and dropped down.

"For now I will remain in command," she said. "Until the Commander has regained her memory or we have returned to Atlantis."

Still clinging to Ymir, Krista sniffled. "I-I'm sorry. I feel like this is a really important moment and I've gone and lost my memory."

"You didn't do it on purpose, idiot," Ymir snapped. Both Mikasa and Annie bristled at Ymir speaking to their Commander that way, but were stopped from commenting when Ymir suddenly fell onto her face, gasping for breath.

"Ymir, you dummy! When will you learn to say things in a nicer way?"

Clutching her stomach, Ymir scrambled onto her knees. "And when will you stop fucking hitting me in the stomach?"

"When you act your age!"

"Age is only a concept!"

Krista burnt red from anger, but crossed her arms over her chest and huffed. "I don't even know why I try with you."

"Yeah, me neither."

Mikasa and Annie shared a perturbed look. They had never seen the Commander act this way before. What was even more confusing was the familiarity with which she and Ymir bickered. Ymir had only joined their crew three months ago. That wasn't enough time to become more than acquainted. But if Krista really had lost her memory, then they must have been friends before. When Mikasa sent Annie a questioning gaze, the blonde could only shrug—she had no idea either.

"I swear Ymir, the only reason I love you is for the freckles."

Ymir could just feel the sudden shock from the other two women. She hated it, and she hated how happy but miserable she felt at Krista's words. She stood shakily, an arm clamped around her stomach. "Whatever," she spat, making sure that Krista knew not to talk to her again. It had worked in the past, so it should work now. It did, and when Ymir grabbed her gun and disappeared into the woods, no one followed her.

XxX

Ymir stayed away for as long as she could—not too far out, but far enough that she didn't see the orange glow from the fire. When she eventually returned, Mikasa and Annie were already asleep. They hadn't discussed taking shifts to keep watch, so Ymir sighed and decided that she would do it. After a while she would wake Mikasa or something and then head to bed herself.

After a while of pacing around the steadily dying fire, Ymir was stopped by the sound of Krista's sniffling. She'd thought the blonde to be asleep, but apparently she wasn't. Sighing and unable to stop herself, Ymir went over to the small blonde and lightly kicked at her blanket.

"Why are you crying? You're the Commander."

Krista turned around to glare at Ymir. "I don't remember it, Ymir. I'm so confused and I feel like nothing makes sense. To me, I've gone from graduating the academy and enjoying the night with my friends, to being on a strange planet with no idea how I got there."

Ymir rolled her eyes and dropped down by Krista. She knew that her presence had always comforted the blonde, and hoped that it would now. It seemed to, since Krista wiped at her tears and sat up too, scooting up to Ymir.

"A lot has happened since then, you know," Ymir said.

"It seems like it. I feel different, and it's weird."

"Yeah. You lost a lot of what used to make you, _you._ Remember how you always used to fight for justice and freedom?" She turned to look at Krista, waiting to meet the blonde's eyes.

"Yeah?"

"You don't do that anymore. After everyone died, you lost a lot of your light. Sure, I used to think you were stupid for how naïve you were, but it was sad to see." She sighed and scuffed her boot on the ground. "Now you're this hardass."

Krista felt like Ymir was talking about someone else entirely. She felt insecure and scared, so she wrapped her arms around one of Ymir's and pressed her cheek to the brunette's shoulder. "At least I still have you," she said. "I don't know what I'd have done if you weren't here."

Ymir's throat constricted. Her heart suddenly ached and she wished with all her might that she still didn't love her Commander. "Yeah well, I was forced to join your crew," Ymir said. "Or be kicked out of the army."

Krista's eyes flashed with concern, but before she could voice it, Ymir rested down on her back and glanced up at the sky. It wasn't like Earth's—there were too many stars, planets even, visible in the darkness. They twinkled together, and Ymir spared a thought to their troops that were no doubt fighting the Reuse right in that instant. She hated their current situation, and even more so when Krista rested down as well and cuddled against her.

"You smell different than I remember," Krista said.

"That's my sweat."

Blushing, Krista rolled her eyes. "I know that, idiot. I'm just saying that your smell has changed."

"I've grown up from the stupid sixteen year old you knew."

"Have we really changed that much?"

Ymir sighed deeply. She felt like she was talking to someone of the past—it was true in some sense. "Of course we did."

Krista sensed the irritation and sadness in Ymir's tone, so she decided to quit it with the questions. Instead she moved up higher so that her cheek was pressed up against Ymir's chest. She sighed when she heard the familiar strong heartbeat. "I feel like I've missed this," Krista admitted softly. She lifted her head to see Ymir's reaction, and felt her heart drop at the sadness she saw in the brown eyes she loved so much. "Ymir…" Not knowing what words to use that could possibly help, she decided to use actions instead. Krista leaned forward and pressed her lips to Ymir's.

For the longest second Ymir's entire mind ceased to work. The softness of Krista's lips, even though they should be dry and cracked, made her heat up and tingle. But the weight of the action crashed down on her, and she sat up quickly, pushing Krista from her. "No!" she said. "Don't do that."

Krista felt a strange wave of tears overcome her. "Wh-why not?" She pressed her fingertips to her lips, where it was still warm, still tingling. "Why does it feel like I haven't kissed you in such a long time?"

"Because you haven't." Ymir stared down at her lap, viciously biting into her lip. "We broke up just after you left the academy." She stood then, not sparing Krista a glance. "Go to sleep. You'll need energy for tomorrow when we head to the city." She went over to Mikasa and kicked her awake. Before the black-haired Lieutenant could punch her, Ymir told her to keep watch so that she could sleep. Mikasa agreed and reluctantly left the warmth of Annie's side. She caught Krista watching Ymir's back, and wondered what Ymir had done for such heartbreak and sorrow to fill Krista's features.

It was a sight that definitely did not become her.

XxX

The next morning Ymir was the last to wake.

"Get up, soldier," Mikasa told her, tossing a large bag her way. "We're all ready and set to go."

Ymir grumbled unhappily but did as she was told. She half expected to hear Krista's monotone voice drone on about how she should jump when ordered, but remembered their current predicament. She felt her stomach tighten and caught sight of Krista speaking quietly with Annie. She didn't look as friendly as she had last night, and Ymir wondered briefly if maybe Krista's loss of memory had just been a dream.

"She woke up a little before you," Mikasa said. "Still can't remember anything. It's so weird to be in charge with the Commander around. I hope she snaps out of it soon." Mikasa did not expect a reply, and so she did not bother when no response came. Instead she went to strapping the last of her armour on and then she secured her gun which she had scavenged from the wreck, and waved the other two over. "Are we ready?"

"Ready!" Annie responded. She gave Krista a pat, and when the blonde lifted her eyes to meet Ymir's, they were hesitant.

They left then, following Annie's compass and direction. They made sure not to leave any obvious tracks on their way, in case anyone found their ship and followed them into the city. There was still no real indication of where they were, and enemies could be anywhere.

Like Ymir had deduced, it took days to walk out of the forest. Past that they were met with barren land, and had to walk days more to get any closer to the city. They barely spoke to one another as they travelled, only stopping during the night to set up camp and rest. They ate a full meal barely once a day, deciding to rather stay on protein bars so as to shorten their travel time.

Ymir couldn't stop thinking about the kiss as they walked, even when her mind screamed at her to forget it. She'd long ago given up hope on ever being with Krista again, but she caught the way Krista gazed at her now, and a small part of her wondered if maybe Krista hadn't stopped loving her either. But halfway through their trek, Krista became alarmingly distant. She spoke less, revealing as little of her thoughts as possible. As the days went by she slowly began to resemble their Commander, and when they finally made it to the city on the sixth day, she ordered them to stop just before entering. They were on a hill overlooking the city, out of breath and tired.

Mikasa and Annie had noticed the change, too, and they seemed relieved to notice their old Commander was back. Ymir felt disappointed, and wondered if Krista had forgotten what had transpired between them in order to regain her other memories. She decided to simply shrug it off.

"A few days ago I started to remember again," Krista told them. "It was slow at first, only flashes. I'd have dreams, too. Yesterday when I woke, I was completely myself again. Thankfully the fall didn't seem to have damaged me too seriously. At least I hope."

Mikasa's smile was miniscule, but relieved. "It's good to have you back, Commander."

Krista only nodded her way. "As we walked I took notice of our surroundings. Because I had been injured before, I hadn't been able to notice."

"Notice what, Commander?" Annie asked.

Krista, fully suited in battle armour and gripping onto her gun, straightened almost powerfully. "I know what planet we are on." Her eyes were hard, and she seemed almost reluctant to continue. "I hate to say it, but we landed on the worst possible planet. This is Erendus, home to the Reuse."

Mikasa, Annie and Ymir all froze. Their expressions became a mirror of shock and disbelief. "But…" Mikasa began. "I thought the location of this planet was never discovered?"

"The council only allow the six Atlantians the knowledge of our enemy planet. They do not want outer interference, and when sending in spies, want to keep certain to secrecy."

Ymir bristled. "They've known where our enemies hide and they've said _nothing?_" She did not even flinch as Krista looked to her with a burning glare. "We could have bombed the planet by now!"

Krista's face hardened. "Shut up, Ymir!" She took a breath to regain her composure. Ignoring her little slip, she continued. "There are innocent people here that do not partake in the war. It is for your very comment that the council chose not to reveal this planet. But we have landed here, and I think it might just be our saving grace."

"How do you figure?" Mikasa asked.

"We could scout around for information before we contact Atlantis Prime and head back. Maybe if we bring valuable information with us, they can overlook our tardiness." Krista swept a hand through her hair and sighed. "I'd also really like to take a shower. The first thing we'll do in the city is get a hotel. We should leave now."

The others nodded and headed off, Krista leading them like she'd been born to. Ymir watched her, surprised to find no envy fill her heart. There was only relief and loss. She watched the pride with which Krista held herself, the strength in her limbs and the way she held her gun. It was so very attractive, and Ymir could finally admit to herself that Krista did deserve to be where she was.

_Maybe that kiss messed with my head_, she mused. _But I really wouldn't mind it if she did it again, or kicked me even._ She hated to admit that her previously buried feelings were resurfacing, and instead focused on their current objective to rid herself of unclean thoughts.

They made it into the city by afternoon, stopping by a general clothing store first to change out of their military wear. They were so obviously Atlantis that if a Reuse soldier were to spot them, no doubt they'd be arrested and held as hostages of war. Krista wasn't keen on the possibility of that. Afterwards they used Krista's abundant electronic cash and hired a room. They decided on one to share, the only available one having two large beds. They'd need to share, and while Mikasa and Annie were glad to sleep together for obvious reasons, Ymir and Krista weren't all that pleased. But they were in no position to complain.

That night Ymir had just finished her shower and walked into the room when she noticed that it was devoid of her crew members. She briefly wondered where they were, and then found a small note on the table.

'_Went to get food. We'll be back in a moment. Keep watch and contact us should an emergency happen – Commander Reiss.' _

It was so formal that Ymir felt sick. She crunched the piece of paper in her fist and tossed it to the side, grumbling. She threw the towel to the floor and then collapsed on the bed that she would soon be sharing with her blonde superior.

Ymir fumbled by the side of her bed for her arm brace and then nervously slipped it on. She then switched the computer on, scrolled around until she reached all recorded date, but paused.

_I shouldn't do this,_ she told herself. But she did it anyway.

Clicking on a specific file, Ymir pulled one arm under her head and kept her eyes trained to the holographic screen as a video began to play.

At first the video only showed Ymir, still so young and hopeful. She had been turning seventeen at the time, and the way she smiled naughtily at the camera made Ymir's stomach churn, but she watched on. Ymir, in the video, was recording using her comm, so the recording wasn't all that neat. It jumbled around and crackled as it moved, showing the young Ymir's footsteps. She paused by a door, snickered once and then pushed it open. It was a dark room, one that Ymir recognized and watching this video after so long almost transported her back to the past.

Krista was fast asleep on the bed, arms flung out to her sides. She was snoring lightly, head turned to the side, and the camera came close to get a good view of her face. But Krista seemed to sense someone watching her, so she reacted by sitting up and flailing about, knocking the device from Ymir's hands. As it clattered to the floor, in the view of the camera, Ymir landed on her back with Krista on top of her, knife in hand and pressed to Ymir's throat.

"_Jesus Christ Krista!"_

"_Huh? Y-Ymir! What the hell are you doing?"_ She dropped the knife but began to pound Ymir's chest, eyes full of tears. _"You idiot!"_

Ymir in the video was laughing. _"I just saw your adorable face and I had to record it. Didn't think you'd be asleep already, though."_

"_So what were you trying to catch on video, hm?"_

"_Well… I was hoping to catch you naked and compromised."_

"_Ymir, you idiot!"_ But despite her blush that was just barely visible in the dark light of the room, she was smiling. Without hitting Ymir again, she leaned down to kiss her. Ymir hummed lightly and drummed her fingers against Krista's back. _"What?"_

"_We haven't done it in a while."_

Just as Ymir in the video flipped Krista around onto her back to begin fondling her breasts, Ymir switched the video off and pressed a trembling hand to her blushing face. The skin was hot there, and Ymir's pulse raced. She regretted having watched the video, especially when Krista and the others returned and they noticed her fluster.

"You weren't jerking off, were you?" Annie asked, disgust clear on her face.

Ymir sat up immediately, hands balling into fists. "Yeah, death and war just gets me so horny." She rolled her eyes and then flipped Annie off.

"Watch it, soldier," Krista told her. Like usual, her eyes were cold and hard. It made Ymir glance down at her bare stomach, frowning. Why did she suddenly miss the old Krista so badly?

"After eating we should get some rest," Mikasa suggested.

Krista nodded. "We'll contact HQ tomorrow and hopefully have an extraction team here by nightfall. For now we should relax."

"This place stinks," Annie complained.

"What did you expect in the slums?" Ymir shot at her. "Fresh peaches and cream?"

Annie narrowed her eyes but decided against responding. With Krista being back, there was a limit to how often she and Ymir could bicker like idiots. Mikasa was grateful for her silence, and she showed it by pressing a small kiss to her jaw.

They ate in silence afterwards. Mikasa and Annie finished first and retired together, murmuring softly to each other as they smiled. Ymir glared at them and Krista just seemed uncomfortable by their affection, but neither voiced their opinions. Krista decided to climb into bed first and she occupied the far left of the bed. When Ymir eventually joined her, the both of them were so tense that they struggled to sleep. Part of Ymir so desperately hoped that Krista would turn around with those big blue eyes of hers, smile in the way that only she could, and say goodnight. Ymir wanted to turn and pull Krista against her, bury her nose in her hair, but merely bit her lip and kept herself from such actions. She turned her back to Krista, eyes squeezing shut, and dropped off into a dreamless sleep.

XxX

A dull ache bothered Ymir enough that she woke before the sun rose. Thanks to bio-engineering, humanity had a much stronger body than they used to. So Ymir's ribs had almost completely healed, but by the sudden throb in her chest, she deduced that she must have slept wrong, or something. She assumed that it was thanks to her position during her sleep, but when she attempted to shift onto her side, she discovered that she couldn't. In fact, the throbbing intensified the moment she shifted and the weight atop her shifted too. At first Ymir was insanely confused, panic steadily clawing up her throat. But then her eyes adjusted to the light and a blush made its way across her face.

Commander Midget had taken residence on top of her body.

Coughing lightly, Ymir pressed a hand to Krista's shoulder and pushed her away. The blonde woke because of it, and she sat up quickly, still partly on top of Ymir, gasping. "What do you think you're doing?" she hissed lowly, her hand now painfully gripping onto Ymir's that had been touching her shoulder.

"Getting you off of me," Ymir growled back, just as quietly. "You fucked up my ribs again."

Krista sighed lightly in irritation, ignoring her own tell-tale blush, and climbed out of bed. She pulled Ymir with her and pushed the brunette into a nearby chair. Ymir was still half asleep and disorientated, the pain in her chest not doing much to help. She felt confusion wash over her as Krista forced her shirt off and then pressed a hand to her chest.

"Did you apply healing gel before we left for the city?"

Ymir covered her breasts as she blushed. "What the hell are you doing?"

Krista's gaze hardened and she roughly pulled Ymir's arms away so that she could prod her sides. Ymir hissed in pain and Krista rolled her eyes. "Clearly you didn't. You have seven broken ribs and they haven't set properly. We might need to break them again before applying healing gel. If we do it'll heal within three hours."

Ymir paled. "I'm f-fine!" She reached for her shirt. "I don't need—" She was interrupted when Krista's fist crashed into her torso, re-breaking all the ribs that were almost healed—though out of place. Before Ymir could scream in pain, Krista's hand clamped down on her mouth and the blonde pulled her in for a tight hug. The pain washed away almost immediately, and Ymir released an intense, shaky breath. "Holy fucking mother Maker."

"I had to or we would have argued all day," Krista told her. She had no signs of remorse or worry on her face, even when Ymir's skin began to quickly bruise blue and black.

"You would never have done that ten years ago."

Krista stiffened just as she was about to apply the gel. She inhaled slowly and then continued with her action, gently rubbing the lotion against Ymir's sore skin. Almost immediately the bruise began to dissipate, steaming lightly as it did. "It'll take a moment to seep into your skin," Krista told her after wiping her hands off. "So you should lie down and wait for your ribs to fully heal." Standing, she put Ymir's arm around her shoulder and then guided her to the bed. Ymir was too weakened to fight her off, so she merely enjoyed the warmth of where they touched. Once she was safely on the bed, she shivered lightly against the cold air brushing on her skin.

"Can I put my shirt on?"

Krista's eyes swept over Ymir's bare chest and she shrugged. "You may." She tossed it at her and then turned to retrieve her bag. Within were new clothes and she started to change into an outfit of boots, black pants and a simple cotton shirt.

"Where are you going?" Ymir asked softly. She had tried to put her shirt on, but it was too painful to move so she merely laid it down on her breasts to cover them. Having Annie see her half naked really wasn't on Ymir's list of wanted experiences.

"That is of none of your concern, soldier," Krista answered. "I order you to rest and recover. If anything goes wrong here I need you able and alert." She finished dressing and headed to the door, ignoring her nagging urge to stay and care for the brunette.

_Seriously,_ Krista thought to herself. _Who would have thought that I'd remember how to take care of an idiot like you?_

XxX

After an hour of wandering the streets alone Krista became acutely aware of someone following her. Since they were at war Krista did not try to ignore the feeling, and so she focused intensely on the figure steadily following her wherever she went. At first she took random turns and bends, testing to see if perhaps it was mere coincidence. It wasn't, so Krista made a quick decision and headed into a nearby bar. She had been planning to visit one anyway. It was early, and not many establishments were open at this hour. Plus there were still plenty of customers, enough for Krista to question and eavesdrop on.

Krista's stalker entered the bar as she did and took a seat a few down from Krista. The person ordered a drink and did not look her way, but Krista made sure to keep watch every so often. She ordered a drink too, and when it arrived she began listening closely to the conversations around her. Most of the people here were drunk, which was good; alcohol loosened the tongue nicely.

A couple of Reuse men were talking loudly a table away. One had a large mug of beer sloshing around, a fine flush over his face. "Those damn Atlantis!" he yelled. "Can't they just give up the war already?"

A guy beside him tried to steady his hand, preventing more beer from spilling all over the place. "Man, keep quiet about the war. No one cares, okay?"

"I care! Damn that Jaeger! He comes home like he won the damn war!"

"The Captain returns home to train newbies," a third man told the first, obviously peeved. "He leaves the frontlines when he feels his troops can handle it. As soon as they need him, he goes back."

"Have you heard about the causalities!?" the first man roared. "Our troops are struggling! What the hell did he return for then?"

"Sounds like he ran," Krista announced loudly. She took a large swallow of her drink, cringing, before she stood and headed over to their table. "If he really does only return when things are slow, then maybe this time he was overwhelmed."

The third man, a blonde, glared openly. "And who are you to speak so lightly of Captain Jaeger? Haven't seen you around here before."

Krista allowed boredom to flash across her face. "I'm just a normal soldier. Got kicked out of the army before everyone went to the Artemis system for the final battle." She turned to the drunk man, a brunette. He seemed to appreciate her interruption and he draped a long arm over her shoulders.

"Now this lady knows what's what!" he stated loudly. "I say we kick Jaeger out and make her Captain!"

Krista made herself laugh as if it was the most amusing thing she had ever heard. The blonde wasn't so amused, so Krista stopped and frowned. "Surely I can't compare to the Captain's accomplishments. I haven't even killed one Atlantis soldier yet." She appeared distraught. "Maybe that's why I was let go."

The blonde, thinking that this was the reason for Krista's unsavoury comments, softened his expression. "I'm sure if you send the Captain a letter he might reconsider and let you join again. Kill a few Atlantis and bring their heads to him. That'll get his attention!"

The drunk suddenly startled. "Speakin' of Atlantis. Did you hear that a ship was found in the forest of Reuse?"

"No one cares," the other man said, a redhead. He seemed to really hate the current topic and wanted to flee as soon as possible, but couldn't. Krista sent him a friendly smile and it worked it lighten his mood. "I mean, maybe I care a little," he said. "My big brother was part of the squad that found it. He told me about it two days ago." Blushing lightly at Krista's sudden attention, he looked down to his lap.

"Were there any bodies found?" Krista asked.

"No. There were no tracks either," the redhead responded. He lifted his head and smiled when he saw the grin on Krista's face.

"This is my chance then," Krista said, turning to give the blonde a look. "Those soldiers must be somewhere. If I can find and eliminate them, bring them to the Captain, then maybe he'll put me back on the force."

The blonde man saw the fiery determination in her eyes and grinned, shrugging. "I suppose. Just don't bother him while he's training," he warned. "Jaeger doesn't care who it is—if you disturb him he'll either put you in permanent stasis or just obliterate you right there."

Krista faked a shiver. "When would be opportune then?"

"Well, he's pretty well known. He starts training pretty early down by the base, but around lunch time he heads back up to his manor. There he usually meets with other important figures to talk about war strategy, or he just trains by himself. He's hardly ever here though. I heard that he's leaving tonight. So if you want to impress him, you better hurry!"

Krista nodded. "I know this might be weird, but I haven't paid much attention to notice. Where is his manor?"

Thankfully it seemed like a lot of people didn't know, because the blonde laughed and waved his hand. "Not that many care to know, so it's alright. If you start by the Capital centre, head north past the Dome. It's literally just north the entire time, and you'll easily notice his plot of land. It's separate from the city, and really large. You might have some trouble getting in because he has guards stationed everywhere. Maybe you can capture the Atlantis alive and bring them there. He might not trust you though." The blonde considered it for a moment, fretting over how to help.

Krista smiled. "Thank you very much. I think I have a plan that'll work. I really appreciate you talking to me."

The drunk whined when Krista stood. "Where you goin' pretty lady?"

"I have some heads to decapitate," she said with fake disappointment. "I might decide to drop by again, though." The comment placated him, and he waved wildly as she left. The blonde waved as well, wishing her good luck, and the redhead merely blushed.

As Krista left the bar she noticed the person from earlier following her again. So she took a right into an alley, and when the person followed, she grabbed them by the front of the shirt and slammed them into the wall. The difference in their height was amusing, but Krista was far from amused when she pulled the hood from their face and saw familiar brown eyes.

"I ordered you to rest and recover."

Ymir shrugged. "I was curious. The gel kicked in quicker than you said it would." Now she grinned. "We can assassinate him," Ymir said. "He doesn't know who we are or why we're here. We know where that asshole Jaeger is and how to get there. You can even use me as a hostage, get me in and—"

"No."

"No?"

Krista shoved Ymir harshly away from her. "No. We do not act impulsively on our own. First we contact Atlantis Prime and inform them. They'll be excited to hear that Jaeger leaves his posts when the war calms down."

"But that won't be enough time!" Ymir countered. "He's leaving tonight!"

"We aren't acting on this new information," Krista snapped. "I can't afford to put our lives so carelessly on the line."

"But it could stop this whole damn war! The moment we kill Jaeger and broadcast it to the galaxy, the war will stop! It's because of this asshole that we're at war anyway."

Krista stepped forward and harshly slapped Ymir across the face. "As of now you will listen to my orders and keep personal opinions to yourself. I will call Atlantis and if they give me the okay, then we can come up with a plan to intercept Jaeger before he leaves. For now we rest and wait. Our intel has been gathered. Is that clear?"

Ymir stared Krista right in the face. Her blood boiled but she knew that she had no footing here. Reluctantly she nodded, biting into her lip. "Fine, _Commander_," she spat. "I'll head back and wake the love-birds. When you return we'll wait for your call to Atlantis Prime." Ymir whirled around and left, hood back over her face. Krista watched her go with a sense of trepidation, and she did not know why.

XxX

Krista returned to the sound of Mikasa and Annie arguing. It wasn't loud and seemed only minor, but they appeared quite upset when Krista stepped into the room. She looked around before saying anything. "Where is Ymir?"

Annie, sitting by the edge of the bed in uniform, furrowed her brow. "We were just wondering the same thing. You didn't leave us a note when you and Ymir disappeared. I wanted to head out to look for you."

"But I told her to wait," Mikasa supplied. She was by the side of the bed, getting suited up and ready.

Krista's fists clenched. "I told Ymir to stay so that she could inform you. Did she really not return?"

Now Annie and Mikasa looked alarmed. "She was not supposed to go out?" Mikasa asked.

"She followed me."

"To where?" Annie asked.

"Just around the city. I discovered where Jaeger is, and I think I know where Ymir is headed." Krista relayed the rest of the information to them, getting into her own armour as well. There was no time for subtlety. Ymir had probably done something insanely stupid by then. "There's no time to contact Atlantis Prime," Krista told them. "But I hope we can at least stop Ymir before she gets herself killed."

For once Annie was in agreement, not wanting to see yet another comrade die. So together they left in a hurry, taking a taxi so as not to rouse suspicion—and threatening to blow the driver's head off if he alerted the authorities about them—and then made the rest of the trek to Jaeger's manor on foot. It took all of fourty-something minutes, and when they arrived, the gate was open and gaping with corpses at its feet.

"Looks like our welcome party arrived," Mikasa commented dryly. She ignored the light sweat on her brow.

Krista cocked her gun and lifted it. "Her trail should be easy to follow. I give it ten minutes before authorities arrive. Our priority is to find Ymir and get her out of here. If she refuses, punch her lights out."

Annie smirked. "With pleasure."

At Krista's nod, the three of them entered the property on high alert and with their guns lifted. So far the path was paved by burning grass, destroyed vehicles and dead bodies. As they approached the large house, gunshots could be heard. The front door had been blown off, and Krista felt the greatest urge to head-butt something.

"Maker, Ymir. You idiot."

XxX

Ymir grunted softly as she landed hard on the tile after diving for cover. A barrage of bullets exploded at the very spot she had just occupied. Sidling up to the edge of the wall, Ymir waited a few beats before peering around and then leaning, gun pointed and shooting. There were four soldiers blocking her way to the stairs. No doubt Jaeger was up there waiting and shitting his pants. So Ymir pulled a grenade from her hip, pulled the pin off with her teeth and then threw it at the men.

The blast was almost defining and it shook the very frame of the house. Ymir waited for any sounds, but heard none and carried on. Since the attack had been completely by surprise, Jaeger's guards had not been prepared. Ymir didn't doubt that heavy armed forces were on the way, though, and so she hurried her movements and jogged up the stairs. There were more guards on the top floor but Ymir took them out with deadly precision.

Ymir ran down the hallway to the only room on the floor, pausing just behind the steel double doors. Beyond she could hear the frantic yelling of a deep voice and assumed it to be Jaeger. However, as soon as she touched the handle of the door, she felt the cold muzzle of a gun press to the back of her head.

"That was a brave attack," the person said. "I didn't expect it at all. My guards were useless too. But you know the saying—if you want anything done right, do it yourself."

Ymir swallowed thickly, stiff. She realized now that the voice behind the door had been a fake. The real Jaeger was behind her. She would recognize that voice anywhere.

"Go fuck yourself," she snarled.

He laughed. "I'm thinking that the war must have messed with your head. Not only do you break onto my private property, but you swear at me when _I_ have a gun to your head. And speaking of guns…"

There was a sudden echo of heavy booted feet, and Ymir realized that reinforcements had arrived. There must have been about twenty uniforms flooding into the hallway, all with their guns pointed directly at Ymir. She didn't have to look at them to know, she could feel it.

"Captain!" a woman yelled, tense. "Move away from the intruder and we'll shoot her down."

Ymir could hear the smirk in Jaeger's voice. "No, don't shoot her. Cuff her and take her down to the base. I'd like to try out our new interrogation room." His gun left her head and he took a few steps back. Ymir slowly dropped her arms, brushing a hand against her hip before she lifted them above her head.

"Look, this isn't what it looks like," Ymir tried to reason, turning. She finally got a good look at Jaeger, and she was amused to see that he was bare-chested and in nothing but white underwear. She must have broken in quicker than he could change.

Snorting, Jaeger rolled his eyes. "Sure thing, buttercup." He turned to the woman that had spoken before. "Cuff her already."

"Understood, Captain!" She moved forward, gun still raised. When she caught Ymir's sudden amused grin, she paused. Before she could ask what was funny, Ymir opened her closed fist, revealing a small grenade inside. It was one of the smaller, lighter ones, but it still packed a punch in small spaces. The pin had already been pulled.

"Better run," she turned to Jaeger, throwing the small grenade in his direction. "Sugar-cakes!"

No one was quick enough to react. Ymir ran for a nearby window, carelessly diving out of it. The bomb detonated behind her, but to her surprise, Jaeger landed just to her right. He had a gun with him so Ymir quickly ducked to avoid a bullet to the head. He then turned and started to run. In the backyard Ymir noticed a small craft with the pilot inside, waving frantically for Jaeger to get to him. The bastard must have rushed to organize that just before Ymir had found him.

Cursing, Ymir darted after him. The men and women from inside hadn't been all the reinforcements, and Ymir found herself having to fight through bodies and bullets. Just as she thought she would be overwhelmed, many guards dropped dead in front of her—she hadn't shot them. She turned and grinned in relief when she saw Krista.

"You got this far," Krista yelled towards her, clubbing one man in the face and ducking to kick another. "So you might as well end this! If you fail I'll personally skin your ass, do you hear me Ymir?!"

Heart pounding, Ymir nodded. She turned and bolted after Jaeger. He hadn't reached the craft yet and he seemed to be winded already. She was gaining fast thanks to her calm at knowing that her crew had her back. They took out all the obstacles in the way, and just as the craft took off with Jaeger hanging on the side, Ymir aimed and shot.

A bullet seared through Jaeger's leg and he roared in pain as he fell. Ymir was on him then, eyes hard and fierce, her lips stretched in a grin. "Got you," she said.

With panic in his eyes, Jaeger swallowed. "Do you not understand the meaning of this war?"

Ymir narrowed her eyes. "You Reuse bastards are humans too!" She pressed her gun to one side of his face and grabbed the other half with her hand. "A couple hundred years ago some humans found alien technology. You idiots thought you were suddenly better than humans on Earth and you created your own new planet with your own new governments and systems. And then you know what, you assholes decided to go to war with Earth anyway! We were forced to create Atlantis Prime. We were forced to mass produce soldiers via cloning, because you know why?" She pressed the gun more firmly. "You almost killed all of us!"

Jaeger's eyes, burning green, attempted to burn her head off. "We are superior! We tried to make a treaty, to somehow connect our races. But you Atlantis scum refused us!"

Ymir rolled her eyes. "So like a baby throwing a tantrum, you started a war?" She clucked her tongue and then straightened again, gun now pressed to Jaeger's forehead. "Too bad we couldn't chat some more."

"No, please—" A bullet silence him and his body relaxed after jerking once.

Ymir wiped the blood from her face, disgusted, before she stood and then roughly kicked the corpse at her feet. The weight of her actions hadn't even occurred to her yet. Before she knew it she was suddenly pulled into a fierce hug, warm breath at her neck.

"Don't you ever do that again," Krista hissed lowly. "Or I'll kill you myself!"

Ymir chuckled and wrapped her arms around Krista. "Oh, so you do remember that kiss, huh? What changed your mind anyway?"

Krista pulled back and looked away to hide her blush. "If we didn't accomplish something here, our entire squad would have been punished. Since you came this far, I decided to let you finish it."

Ymir chuckled and then playfully pulled at Krista's cheek. "You still have that softness in there," she said.

Krista slapped her hand away and glared. "I'm still your Commander!"

Ymir's smile softened. "Come on, you'd think I'd get some slack after stopping the war." She hesitantly reached out to cup Krista's cheek. "Almost getting blown to pieces kind of made me think, you know, about us."

"There is no us."

"But… we could try." Ymir's eyebrow lifted. "I'm a hero now! I'll probably be promoted higher than you. Our issues are behind us. I haven't seen you for years and for these past three months all we've done is glare at each other."

Krista considered it, her gaze slowly falling to the floor. "I don't know how to be close to anyone anymore."

Ymir shrugged. "It's not like I was socially adept in the past. We can make it work."

Krista sighed. "I might consider becoming your acquaintance… to see where it goes."

"Aw," Ymir wondered how far she could push her luck. Mikasa and Annie were somewhere, she didn't know where. Probably checking the craft to see if it was space-ready. If it was, then they could make a quick escape with Jaeger's body before anymore Reuse showed up. So before they had to leave in a rush, Ymir decided to do the one thing she'd have laughed at herself for a week ago. Leaning in, she gripped Krista's chin and caught her blue eyes in a soft gaze. "You know, there's something I need to say."

Krista couldn't find it in her to move away or to even avert her gaze. Blushing lightly, she lifted her hands to touch Ymir's face. "Say it."

"I still love y—"

The deafening blow of a gunshot rang in Krista's ears, interrupting the last of Ymir's words. Following that was Ymir's widened look of shock, and then she slumped forward and onto Krista. The blonde quickly lifted her gun and pointed it at the one soldier they had missed. He was a short blonde, with a gun trembling in his hands and tears pouring from his face. Krista gunned him down and then she caught Ymir just before she slid off and onto the ground. Panicking, she searched for any injuries, heart dropping.

Blood seeped along Ymir's face from the gaping wound by her temple. Her heart had stopped. Krista dropped to her knees, hands going to cup Ymir's face, blood spattered all over her. She began to beg and plead, hoping that Ymir would wake and laugh it off. The wound was fatal, she knew that. She knew it even as she began to scream; even as Annie pulled her into the craft while Mikasa pulled Ymir in too. And even as Ymir's crimson blood stained the floor, Krista screamed for her to wake.

XxX

The morning air was crisp and silent. Not a soul spoke, but the sadness was almost visible in the air. All around faces were stoic, with only a few looking genuinely affected. They were in a stadium, all lined up in front of the stage. Atop the stage sat a casket, and atop that was a picture of Ymir. By the podium a woman stood, the Captain of the Atlantis.

"Today we say goodbye to a comrade," the woman announced, voice loud and firm. "But not just any comrade. Ymir's last moments were spent stopping this war. Thanks to her, the Reuse have signed an agreement to never encroach on Earth soil again. The war has ended."

Ymir's was not the only casket there. At the back of the stadium sat many more of decorated soldiers and leaders that had perished. For the foot soldiers, there were golden plagues mounted to the walls. Almost every surface of wall was covered in gold, and one would get lost searching for a name.

"We have lost many to the war," the Captain went on. "For sixty-five years we have been bred for and have died for this war. But not anymore."

A week. It had been just one week since that day. All troops returned home. They were still collecting bodies, counting the dead, healing the injured. It was a mess, and some wondered if they would ever really recover. But more than that there was a relief and cause for celebration. However, all those in the stadium were there to say goodbye. No one standing in line, wearing stiff formal military wear, were in the mood for a party. Though many might head out to drink after, anyway.

"It is such a loss to humanity, to have to bury a hero. But Ymir's name will be passed down to our children, and their children. She will always be remembered for the sacrifice that she made so that we might walk peacefully once more. Before we end the ceremony, I'd like for Commander Reiss to take the stand, and to say a few words of farewell."

Krista, sitting in the seats on the stage reserved for the higher-ups, stood stiffly and headed to the podium. She felt no nerves, only numbness. Her hard gaze did nothing to move the crowd, but everyone watched her intently, interested to know what she had to say.

"Ymir and I met in the academy," Krista began. She had no paper with her speech, no cue cards to remember the words. Everything was in her heart. "I fell in love with her the moment she looked at me." The stadium finally reacted, people straightening, tensions breaking. Some even shared looks. "And I did love her, for a long time. But our paths were so different. We left the academy with an argument. When she was assigned to my unit four months ago, I was far from pleased. Ymir, as you all know, was incredibly difficult to work with. Stubborn, crass and selfish. But those were the traits that made her who she is. She changed for no one and always stayed true to herself." There was no tremble in her voice. "My only wish is that, if another life exists, I would meet her there and tell her how proud I am as her Commander, friend and the person that still loves her dearly. Most might not miss her, but we will surely miss the opportunity to see her reaction to the peace that we're building." Krista cleared her throat and stepped down, intent on returning to her seat.

No one clapped. Why would they? When she finished her speech the air seemed to grow thicker, more solemn. Everyone here knew the feeling of loss and the grief that followed. And as the Captain returned to give the final speech, Krista glanced over at Ymir's casket.

It was covered in flowers and medals, letters from adults and children alike thanking her for her sacrifice, wishing her an eternal rest in the afterlife. It was just Ymir's style, and Krista knew that if she had been able to see it, she would have been a smug bastard.

After sitting, Krista looked down to her lap. Her speech remained uncompleted, because the last sentence she had not been able to utter to anyone but herself.

"You finally did it; you finally got the glory that you wanted, Ymir."


End file.
